


Together Nothing Can Stop Us

by TrashcanKitty



Series: The New Company of Light [17]
Category: Winx Club
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Hallucinations, M/M, Mourning, Multi, PTSD, Questioning, Recovering from Season 3 drama, Some underage drinking, Summer, Uncertainty of Oneself, canon typical stuff, implied underage sexual content, scared, trying to be better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:08:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21802690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrashcanKitty/pseuds/TrashcanKitty
Summary: Valtor is dead.It's all the Magical Dimension seems to be able to talk about. The dreaded wizard who followed the Ancestral Witches blindly is dead.Gone.At her hands. His blood is on her hands.Valkyrie knows she did what she had to do, she knows her actions saved those she loved and the entire universe... But sometimes the guilt still eats at her.
Relationships: Aisha | Layla/Nabu (Winx Club), Bloom/Sky (Winx Club), Brandon/Stella (Winx Club), Flora/OC, Helia/OC, Lucy/Mirta (Winx Club), Musa/Riven (Winx Club), OC/OC, Tecna/Timmy (Winx Club)
Series: The New Company of Light [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1362700
Kudos: 5





	1. Repulse

**Repulse**

Griffin stood in the doorway, watching silently as Valkyrie snipped off strands of her hair. It’d gotten longer than the younger witch liked, so back up to her shoulders it went. Little strands falling magically into the trashcan.

Valkyrie put her glasses back on, turning in her swivel chair to face her mother. “I… Guess this is the part where we talk it out?” She asked, unsure. Blue eyes seemed mildly panicked, worry-filled. It made the older witch’s heart ache.

Her own daughter, so unsure of where she stood, unsure of herself even. Griffin moved from the doorway, taking Valkyrie’s hands in hers. “Say whatever it is you need to say.”

“What do you want to hear? Because I keep wracking through my brain about what I should say to you… Or at least, what I need to tell you… And I just… Keep coming up blank because...” The younger witch bit her lip. “Because what if I just did the only thing that could make you, my own mother, see me as one of _them_? What if I just crossed a line that I can’t uncross?”

Griffin squeezed her daughter’s hands, making the younger witch look her in the eyes. “Valkyrie, you only did what you had to do.”

Valkyrie pulled her hands away, shaking her head in… Disgust?

“I keep telling myself that, but what if there was another way? Maybe I should have let Bloom handle it? Or at least had her there with me… Then maybe we could have cured the corruption. Or… Something.” The purple haired witch pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them. “I feel like I should have done more.”

Griffin waved her hand, one of the dining chairs from downstairs coming up for her to use. She took a seat in front of Valkyrie, making the young witch look at her. “You may not believe me when I say this… But I’ve been there.”

“For years I worried about my choices during the War. ‘Did I make the right choices? Would he have left with me if I had stuck it out a little longer to make him understand? Could I have changed his mind? Were you safe with me?’”

“I struggled with all of that, but every time I looked at you, every time I saw you laughing at something or marveling at some new wonder… I knew I’d made the right choices. And in time, you’ll see that you did too.”

Valkyrie gave a breathless laugh. “Mom, no offense, but leaving a cult and _killing_ your father are two different things.”

“Not when the same reasons apply. I left to protect the Magical Dimension. I left because there really wasn’t a choice in the matter. It was do or die.”

“And you, my Dear, killed him for the same reasons. There wasn’t a good choice in that matter. If you hadn’t killed him, the entire Magical Dimension would be at risk and he would have succumbed further into the corruption of the Ancestral Witches. But you did because you and your dragon knew you had to.”

She wrapped an arm around her daughter, pulling her close. “You did what you had to do. And I admire you so much for having the courage to stand up to him when even the Council backed away.”

Valkyrie leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder, tears threatening to fall. “Then why does it still hurt so much? Why do I still feel so… Guilty?”

Griffin couldn’t help a faint smile. “Because having a conscience sucks sometimes. Because, for better or worse, I tried to raise you to be a better witch than me… That included being slightly more aligned to ‘good’ instead of morally gray...” A half-tease.

Valkyrie cracked a bit of a smile, shaking her head and pulling away. “Gee thanks, Mother Dearest.”

“Sorry, but I had the greater good to think of.” Griffin feigned a pout, her hand going to her heart. “I do apologize.”

Valkyrie shook her head, wiping at her tears as she laughed. “Just remember this conversation when you start complaining about me being too good a person.”

“Believe me, I will.” Griffin chuckled, getting to her feet.

The air felt lighter, more breathable. Tension gone. (Good. Her daughter deserved to have a break, to get back to being a normal teenager. She deserved to laugh.)

“Mom...” The statement had the seriousness back and Griffin felt herself tense. Dammit she’d thought she had broken through. But the young witch was looking at her, still a bit of uncertainty in her voice and eyes.

“What is it, Valkyrie?”

“How… Can you stand to be around me and comfort me after all of this? I...” Griffin cut her off, forcing her to her feet so she could hug her properly.

“Valkyrie Edna Sylvane. You are _my_ child. I could never just leave you, no matter what you did. The only thing that pains me about all of this is the toll it’s taken on you.” She kissed the top of her daughter’s head, silently praying she’d break through to Valkyrie.

_It wasn’t her fault. She only did what she had to do. He left her no choice._

“But you loved him.”

“I loved who he used to be. Before the corruption took over, before he let his own greed get the better of him. The man I saw this year was _not_ the man I… that I had fallen in love with.” It was the truth.

(And it hurt. Oh realms did it hurt. Valtor from this year was vastly different from the Valtor Griffin knew seventeen years ago. Crueler, angrier, colder. But that wasn’t on her or Valkyrie. That was all on him and his mothers.)

“In fact, if I recall what you and Flora said, he wasn’t much of a man anymore… He’d fully become a demon.” Griffin ruffled Valkyrie’s short hair, smiling a bit as it fluffed up. “You did the only thing that could be done to stop him.”

“You and your friends saved the Magical Dimension. That’s all you need to focus on.” Valkyrie’s lips turned to a smile, that lopsided smile she shared with her father.

Arms wrapped around Griffin, a hug. “Thanks, Mom… I… I needed that.”

Griffin grinned, kissing her cheek. “Come on, I say we eat out at Jinxes’ tonight. We could use the comfort food.”

Valkyrie’s smile widened. “I’m so in.”


	2. Conflicting

**Conflicting**

“Are you sure about this? I don’t want you going if you’re not really feeling like it.” Griffin gave her daughter a once-over, concern laden down her voice. “I know you’re still having-”

“Nightmares? Yeah…” Valkyrie shrugged, grabbing her backpack. “I’ll be fine, Mom. Promise.” She gave a wry smile. “Besides, it’s not like I’ll be alone.”

“Still…”

“Mom. It’s an interdimensional fair not some death-defying mission. I’ll be okay.” Valkyrie reminded her.

“I’m not worried about you _being okay_. I’m worried if you’re _okay now_.” Griffin took her hand, giving a soft squeeze. “You had a rough year.”

_That was an understatement. She’d met her father. She’d met a version of herself she didn’t even recognize. And she’d killed her father. Burned him alive._

_She’d killed him. She could sense a change in him at the end, and she still killed him._

The younger witch pulled herself back, squeezing her mother’s hand. “I’m okay, Mom. Like I said, I’m not going alone.” She rose to her tiptoes and kissed her mother’s cheek.

Turning to the door, she paused and stroked the tuxedo cat lounging about. “Be good while I’m gone. Okay? Don’t give grandma a hard time.” She shot Griffin a teasing look after that last statement, chuckling as the cat rubbed against her and purred.

“Just remember you can come home as soon as you feel like it.”

“I will.” Valkyrie gave a wink as she walked out the door, taking a breath.

Her first real outing since everything had gone down. Her first time facing a realm aside from Rancor and Magix.

She could do this. She could do this.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Melody was lovely. Absolutely lovely. Floating islands, Reddening and Harpy Cherry Trees, pink skies, crystal oceans.

Soft white beaches, wooden homes with sliding doors and large verandas and patios. And a soft hum that seemed to keep all in the realm calm.

Musa was grinning and babbling about as she showed her realm off to her friends, a grinning Riven holding to her hand as she gave ‘the grand tour’.

“And over there was where my mom and dad used to perform all the time. The Green Dragon. Let me tell you, the food there is off the hook. But it’s pricy. I only go on occasion when my cousin’s in town.” Musa laughed.

“And there’s my dad’s studio. I’d take you all in, but he’s working on his first composition since Mom died and I’d rather not disturb him.”

Riven gave a sigh of relief. “I’m a little glad about that. Last time we met, he wasn’t exactly found of me.”

Nabu laughed, tugging Layla too him. “Saying you weren’t already engaged to be married, only for you to run away and fall in love anyway?” He teased. The group gave a laugh, snickering at the flush Musa and Riven had.

“I think you two are the only arranged marriage couple that’s actually okay with the situation.” Crystal teased, leaning against Kota. “I mean, take Sky and Diaspro for example. That fell apart pretty fast when Bloom came into the picture.”

Sky shot a glare toward Crystal. “Why did you have to bring that up? Is it because of our sparring challenges a few months ago? Because our grades depended on that.”

“You broke through my favorite spell.” The gem witch seethed. “You should just count your blessings that we were in the middle of a crisis and I couldn’t get real payback.”

“Real payback?” Layla asked, shaking her head. “And what would that have looked like?”

“Probably something gross. Or terrifying.” Stella shook her head, holding to Brandon. Brandon chuckled.

“I have a feeling Sky could’ve handled it. Right Bloom?” Brandon laughed.

Bloom gave a smile. “No offense, Crystal, but I have a feeling Sky can handle a curse or two.”

Crystal gave a smirk. “We’ll see.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “Hey… Focus. Aren’t we here for that fair?”

Musa grinned. “We are. Our girl Bloom’s never been to one before and we’re going to show her a great time.”

“Oh I just love the Interdimensional Fairs… Which realms are involved in this one?” Flora asked, draped over Valkyrie.

“Melody and Inseca are two that I know of.” Valkyrie hummed.

“And then there’s Solaria and Andros.” Tecna grinned. “A perfect grouping.”

“Especially game and ride wise.” Timmy chuckled.

Helia shrugged. “I’m not much of a rider… But I’m sure I’ll get some great shots of all of you.”

“Guess I’m riding solo then.” Morgan rolled her eyes, giving a teasing nudge. Lucy draped an arm around Morgan.

“You can ride with me since Mirta doesn’t like to ride either.”

Mirta flushed. “It’s not that I don’t _like to ride_ , I just… Get a little queasy on the spinning ones.”

Kota laughed. “I feel you on that, Mirta. But I do need someone to ride the rollercoasters with. Crystal doesn’t do heights.”

“Stella doesn’t either. Guess we’ll ride together dude.” Brandon gave a thumbs up.

Valkyrie tugged Flora close, murmuring into her ear. “Are we going to ride all the rides? Or do you have any hang-ups I should know about?” She half-teased.

“I’ll ride them all.” Flora giggled, looking to Musa. “So where are the fairgrounds?”

“Just this way, ladies and gentlemen.” Musa gave a wink, turning on her heels and leading them toward the outskirts of her hometown.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interdimensional fairs were exactly what they sounded like: fairs comprised of rides, games, foods, goods, and oddities from the realms that banded together for them.

This particular fair was on Melody and was comprised of Melodian, Solarian, Androsian, and Insecian cultures, the flags from each realm prominent on the flag poles.

The group had a few disagreements of what to do first and where to head, which meant one thing: splitting up into smaller groups and promising to meet back up for dinner.

Musa and Riven went toward the band areas, excited to see who the fair had gotten to perform. (And knowing Musa, she’d find her way on stage at some point.)

Stella, Brandon, Sky, and Bloom were heading toward the boutique-esque tents for new outfits. Crystal dragged Kota off after them when she noticed the jewelers’ tents nearby.

Lucy and Mirta were heading off with Helia and Morgan to do some sightseeing. Tecna, Timmy, Nabu, and Layla decided to hit the games. (Nabu and Layla went for the boardwalk style games and Timmy and Tecna found the arcade.)

“Where are you wanting to head off to?” Valkyrie asked, slipping her hand into Flora’s. The fairy grinned, looking around.

“There’s just so much to do… And so little time. Maybe we should try a few rides first? I saw an amazing zipline ride that seemed similar to leaf surfing.” Flora hummed. “Or we could try the Androsian ship? I know it tends to make others sick but it looks like so much fun.”

Valkyrie laughed, watching as Flora’s jade eyes seemed to light up. “You just lead me in the right direction.” She gave a wink. “After all, I think I’ve established that _I_ should be the most frightening thing around.”

Flora rolled her eyes, giggling as started dragging the witch off in the direction of the Androsian pirate ship ride.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Crystal groaned in line, looking around. “Are you sure we should do this? I mean, I have no problems with the Web. I don’t… But it doesn’t look sturdy and I’d rather not die after I’ve managed to survive this long…”

Lucy laughed, nudging the brunette. “Relax, Crys. This ride is totally safe. Trust me, the Ijae Spider will not let anyone get hurt.” She gestured to the ride’s engineer and his partner spider. The Ijae was the size of a large dog, with barbed legs and a bright red furry body.

Valkyrie shrugged. “If nothing else, you won’t be alone. It’s the three of us.”

“Only because everyone else has enough sense to stay the fuck away from this ride.” Crystal grumbled, looking toward the crowd of spectators.

Kota, Mirta, and Flora were among them, giving encouraging signs and grins. Stella and Bloom were with them, with Bloom trying to decide if she wanted to ride and Stella looking like she was going to hurl despite not even being on the ride.

“Mind if we join?” A familiar voice called. Layla and Nabu. “I’m willing to try most things once.”

“And I’m following her to make sure she’s safe. She tends to get into some rocky situations, you know?” Nabu teased, wincing a bit as Layla elbowed him.

Crystal just shook her head, face looking green already. “Can Layla take my place? I’m good with never riding the Web.”

“I’ll never let you live it down.” Lucy warned, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms. “If you don’t do this, ever witch at Cloud Tower will know.”

Valkyrie rolled her eyes. “Crystal’s stared down death before, Lucy, I don’t think a little public humiliation will phase her.”

Layla shot the witch a look. “It looks like so much fun. Why don’t you want to ride?”

“Because that spider wraps you into a cocoon of its webs and ties you to that pole and you go swinging at the mercy of the wind. Does that sound like fun to you? Because to me, it sounds like death.” Crystal argued.

Lucy groaned. “Fine. Go back to Kota, wiatch.” Crystal grinned, starting down the stairway.

“Good luck. Please don’t die!” She called out, rushing to the spectators and hugging tight to Kota.

“Wimp.” Lucy snipped.

Valkyrie shook her head. “Crystal’s just being Crystal.” She looked to Layla and Nabu. “You sure you want to ride? I’d hate for your parents’ to come down here if something were to happen.”

Nabu shrugged. “I sneak out and do stuff like this all the time.”

“And this is no different than riding on the Kraken Limbs.” Layla grinned. “Which we should so do after this!” The fairy turned to Nabu, taking his hands in hers. “Please?”

“Whatever you want, Layla…”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flora nearly shrieked as the rollercoaster began to loop-da-loop, her hand holding tightly to Valkyrie’s.

The witch just laughed, enjoying the rush of adrenaline and the wind cooling her down. The Dragon Rider was just what the doctor ordered.

Thrilling, fast, and circling around the fair grounds.

Once it stopped, it took a moment to get your footing back, but Dragons’ was it worth it. “You feeling okay?” Valkyrie asked, helping Flora out of the ride. The fairy giggled and laughed.

“Oh I think my heart stopped once or twice. I was actually a little scared back there.” She admitted, flushing. “But I think I’d do it again… Doesn’t that sound crazy?”

Valkyrie laughed, kissing her cheek and leading her down to wait on the others who’d joined the ride. “It doesn’t. Sometimes a little fear is all you need.” She watched as Musa and Riven came off the ride, the redhead looking a bit worse for wear and Musa wearing a shit-eating grin. “How’d you like the ride?”

“Never again.”

“It was amazing, even if I still can’t feel my toes.” Musa laughed, looking to Riven. “You good?”

“Peachy.” Riven snipped, leaning into her. His face was starting to get color back, his body beginning to still. “I don’t think I’ll ever ride that again though… Too much.”

“You ride actual dragons and this ride got you?” Valkyrie teased, crossing her arms. “Poor Riven.”

Riven flipped her off, shooting a look. “Not all of us want to die before we’re thirty, thank you.”

Valkyrie just chuckled. “Not everyone can handle the rollercoaster, you mean.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The witch wanted to shake her cousin until she couldn’t see straight. Leaving her alone. In here.

Valkyrie took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm as she walked through the ‘Fun House’. (It was really supposed to be a House of Horrors, a place to get a good scare without the possibility of getting hurt.)

She hated these places with a passion. She didn’t do horror movies and she sure as hell didn’t do haunted houses. _And why should I? My life is already a story about being haunted._ She thought, walking about.

Morgan had insisted they go in together, ‘just to have a quick laugh and scare’. But as soon as they walked in, the fairy seemed to have disappeared.

“Morgan…? Morgan will you come back here?” She started to call out, looking around. Nothing too bad.

A few mannequins dressed as jinn were having a ‘tea party’ with the wishes of the damned. There were werewolves gathering a pack.

Vampires and skeletons begging for someone to release them.

So far, so good. (Normal. So normal.)

But it didn’t stop the latent panic from thrumming in her veins, or her flames from daring to lick at her skin. (Just in case.)

“Morgan this isn’t funny anymore, where are you?” She heard laughing and followed the sound, mentally swearing when she found the Hall of Mirrors.

Of all the cliché shit to have… A Hall of Mirrors. “Morgan…”

She took a deep breath as she made her way in the hall, keeping her gaze averted from the mirrors. _Why were the mirrors all wrong? Why couldn’t she stand them?_

‘ _Lysslis._ ’ Her dragon supplied in a growl. (Made sense. The witch was known for illusions, and mirrors are typically a tool used to assist them…)

A shriek had her mind whirring as she ran, trying to follow the sound. A glimpse of something catching her eyes.

Morgan, shifted into her Enchantix, fighting off… No. No it couldn’t be real. They were dead.

The Ancestral Witches were dead, they couldn’t be fighting with Morgan. Her cries for help couldn’t be real. Could they?

“What are you waiting for? Don’t you want to be the hero? To save her? Or are you scared stiff?” No. He was dead too… She’d seen the life leave his eyes. She’d seen him go up in smoke.

“More like, she’s savoring the moment. She’s crueler than she lets on.”

“Would you like the honors in taking her wings?”

Valkyrie couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. The three of them turned on her, offering her something. A knife.

“No. No.” She felt her flames come from her palms, a shield going over her as she made her way through them.

She ran, faster and faster, her flames puffing out when stopped. She had to stop though. Had to catch her breath. Had to remember reality.

What was reality?

Was she even spelled? Or was it the mirrors themselves acting up?

The mirrors. She was surrounded by them now.

“Looks like it’s me, myself, and I.” Her image shifted in the mirrors. Her Other self. The twisted one. Manic smile, too-sharp teeth, long braided hair, and proudly boasting _their_ marks on her bare arms.

“I got rid of you.” Valkyrie sneered, feeling her inner flame lighting up again.

“No. You _accepted me._ Big difference.” The Other seemed to walk out of the mirror, placing a burning hot hand on Valkyrie’s shoulder.

“You see, all you did was accept that I am part of you. That we’re really a twisted and… Complex individual. But that didn’t _get rid of me_. It just made me… Another voice in your head.” She laughed, moving away. “It’s a good thing you accepted me too. Otherwise, you’d have chickened out of putting the old man out of his misery.”

Valkyrie glowered at her, growling at her callousness toward death. “We only did that because there was no other way.”

“Sure there wasn’t.” The Other giggled. “That’s what we’ll tell ourselves, isn’t it? To keep the guilt at bay?” She changed her demeanor and pitched her voice. “ _Oh your honor… I promise, there was no other way around it… He was a menace to the entire magical dimension. I was only doing my civic duty._ ”

“It’s bullshit and you know it.” The Other gave that smile, getting into Valkyrie’s face. “Admit it… You _loved_ watching the light leave his eyes. You _loved_ the smell of ash and dust as it flew around you. _The smell of burning flesh._ ”

“You enjoyed it. You enjoyed disposing of him and watching as he died.” The Other chuckeld. “I know I did.”

Valkyrie closed her eyes. So it was partially true… There was a part of her that _did_ enjoy taking his life. A part that _did_ feel energized by the smell of smoke and ash.

But he was still her father, he was still a person at some point, before the corruption had set in… And still did feel the guilt of his death on her, even though she knew she couldn’t save him.

Valkyrie clenched her fists and stood as proud as she could, trying to keep from trembling. Her eyes held the Other’s gaze. “You’re right. I did enjoy it. I took his life, I watched him die a slow and painful death. I did it and I can’t find the will to feel _all that bad_ about it.”

“But that doesn’t mean you get to show up and remind me about it. I feel enough self-hatred and self-disgust without any help from you.” She sneered, letting a small wave of her flames go.

The Other seemed to singe away, turning to ash.

“Valkyrie! Valkyrie! Are you still in here?!” A familiar voice called. Morgan. Valkyrie turned to face her cousin, trying to calm herself down.

No need in worrying her. No need in-

“Val… What are you okay?” Morgan asked, her amber eyes wide with worry. Valkyrie frowned.

“I’m fine… Why?” Lie and deny. She didn’t need a feelings talk right now.

Morgan walked over to her, gingerly taking her hand and showing them to Valkyrie. Glass. Blood. Cut.

She’d broke the mirror. “It smells like smoke and ash in here, Val… What happened?” The fairy asked, concerned.

Valkyrie shook her head, casting a quick spell to fix the mirror as Morgan held her hand close, trying to keep the wound from being exposed. “Nothing you need to worry about. I promise.”

“Valkyrie, I _will_ call Aunt Griffin.”

“I said I’m fine.” Valkyrie snipped, pulling her hand away. Small cuts, nothing major… (Even if it was still bleeding.)

“I’m fine.” She looked around, her heart still racing. “Where’s the exit…? I need a bandage.”

Morgan frowned, but seemed to forfeit the argument. “This way… Come on, before it gets infected…”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

She hated herself for doing it, but as soon as her hand got bandaged up, Valkyrie ditched the group.

She couldn’t handle the questions she just _knew_ they’d ask. She knew she’d never be able to give them the answers they want or open up to them like they want.

Who wants to admit they enjoyed murder?

Who would want to admit they liked watching the light go out of someone’s eyes?

Or worse, would want to admit that despite the feelings of enjoyment, they still felt guilty and ashamed and petrified at the idea that they killed someone?

That they wished they could have saved their father, no matter the damage he’d done?

Who did that?

She pulled her knees to her chest, watching the waterfall and the gatorhounds playing on ShadowHaunt, trying to pull herself out of her head.

Trying to remind herself that what she did, she did because she had to… That she did the right thing…


	3. Monstrous

**Monstrous**

Flora watched Helia sketch out the skyline of the fair, darting her eyes toward the Fun House exit every so often. “How long do you think it takes to get through it?”

“I don’t know.” Helia shrugged, trying to seem collected. His eyes told a different story though.

“Helia…”

“I’m worried.” He admitted finally, looking to the attraction’s exit. A few kids had run out, tears streaming as they hugged their mothers. “Val never liked those things… But Morgan always… Talked her into going into them…”

Flora frowned. “Maybe we should go inside?”

“No way. If we go in there and they’re arguing, we’d be dragged into shit we couldn’t get out of. Best thing to do is wait.” Helia sighed. “No matter how long it takes.”

She crossed her legs and shifted in her seat on the bench, waiting.

Thankfully she didn’t have to wait long, a familiar blonde elf came out of the exit, holding to a purple haired witch.

A purple haired witch with a cut hand…

Flora jumped up, rushing over with her bag. “What happened?” She looked them over, noting how Valkyrie wouldn’t meet her gaze. “Val? Morgan?”

“A mirror shattered, but it’s okay. Right?” Morgan looked to Valkyrie, ears twitching a bit. “Val?”

“I’m okay. The mirror is fixed. There’s nothing to worry about.” The witch replied curtly, nearly flinching when Flora tried to examine her hand.

Helia had rushed over and was getting something out of his bag. Bandages. “You still carry those with you?” Morgan asked, half amused.

“After hanging around Kota and Valkyrie all my life? Yeah, I carry bandages.” He teased, handing them off to Flora.

The fairy took her girlfriend’s hand in hers. “Relax sweetie, this won’t hurt.” She murmured, carefully wrapping her hand. “Better?”

“Yeah… Thank you.” The witch flashed her signature smile, but Flora wasn’t buying it. The light didn’t touch her eyes and her voice sounded… Distant.

“Valkyrie… What happened in there?”

“I got spooked. It’s nothing.” She stretched a bit, looking around. “I’m going head out… Make sure Bloom has a great time at her first fair.” She kissed Flora’s cheek and hugged Helia and Morgan, gone before the three of them could say anything.

“Morgan… What happened back there?” Helia asked, pulling the half-elf close. Morgan wrapped her arms around herself, shaking her head.

“I don’t know… One second we were going through the werewolf display, the next we were separated. And then I felt this intense heatwave and…. I found her in the Hall of Mirrors, yelling at someone and… Then she had a cut hand.” Morgan closed her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Helia kissed the top of her head, one hand twirling loose strands of her hair. “It’s okay, Morgan. What happened isn’t your fault.”

“I shouldn’t have pushed her to go with me though….” Flora shook her head.

“Val’s stubborn. If she wants to do something, she’ll do it. So don’t beat yourself up over what happened.” She gave a slight smile. “Now if you’ll excuse me… I think I know where she went and I’m going to see what I can do to help.”

“That may not be a good idea. She may just need to be left alone for a while.” Helia warned. “Trust me, you do not want to mess with her alone time.” Flora shook her head.

“Something upset her, Helia. And it was more than just some cheap scare from a Fun House.” Flora argued. “All I’m going to do is check on her. Nothing more, or less.” She looked to Morgan, taking the other fairy by the hand.

“Will you let the others’ know?”

“Sure thing.” Morgan gave a weak smile. “Flora...? Work your magic okay? She seems to listen to you more than she does the rest of us.”

“I’ll do my best.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The fairy made her way out of the portal to ShadowHaunt, taking in the glorious yellow sky and bits of sunlight that shined through the caves.

She could hear the roar of the waterfall and the howls of the gatorhounds and the playful snarls of the shadow creatures.

Her plants waved their vines and limbs, calling to her and welcoming her back. Flora couldn’t help but smile, placing her hands on the ground and feeding her energy to her babies, watching them grow and blossom.

In return, they guided her to the castle, showing her the path Valkyrie had taken. With her destination in mind, she started her walk, keeping her eyes and ears open for her witch.

Flora didn’t have to search for long; Valkyrie was at the cliffside, her body hunched over as if trying to cave in on herself.

Soft, barely there whimpers carried into the wind, breaking the fairy’s heart as she walked over and took her rightful place at Valkyrie’s side.

Without a word she wrapped her arms around Valkyrie, pulling the smaller woman to her and holding her in place; her head on Flora’s shoulder, arms wrapped around her, firmly in Flora’s lap with her legs wrapped around her waist.

The witch didn’t struggle, just let out soft cries, her body shaking and the tears streaming hard and fast, smudging her glasses.

She clung to Flora like a lifeline, whimpering something out that Flora couldn’t quite understand. (She got bits and of pieces of it… Words like “worth it” and “damned” coming up.)

The fairy knew when she’d calmed down, how her body seemed to sag a bit from the release of tension, how the cries stopped, how tears quit wetting her shirt. But Valkyrie refused to speak or look her in the eyes.

She could feel sorrow and worry consuming her witch, a feeling of fear thrown in. So unlike Valkyrie, a witch who always seemed so determined to do as she wanted, who didn’t seem to dwell on consequences.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Flora finally spoke, keeping her voice low and even. Valkyrie started to disentangle herself, still avoiding eye contact. “Valkyrie. What happened?” A bit harsher, a command.

“If I tell you, you’ll…” The witch stopped herself from speaking, her body shaking again. Turmoil inside of her.

“If you tell me, you think I’ll leave? Is that it?” Flora fished for the rest. (A preposterous thought really. If she were going to leave Valkyrie, she’d have done it after that birthday fiasco from months ago. Hell, if she were going to leave Valkyrie, she’d have already said so.)

The witch nodded, her eyes clenched shut and face flushed from the crying. “I… I don’t want to lose you… Any of you… But you deserve to know… You all do.” She sat down, pulling her knees to her chest. Still refusing eye contact.

“Deserve to know what?”

“That I’m a monster…” Her voice was so soft, cracking with the emotion in it. “I… I’ve not just been mourning what could have been, Flora… I stopped doing that weeks ago… Now I’m…” She swallowed hard.

“I’m reveling in his death. I… I killed him. And I have to face the fact that I _enjoyed_ killing him. I took his life, watched the light go out of his eyes, and I’m proud of it. Deep down, I’m _thrilled_ that he’s dead, that _I_ killed him.” She gave a breathless half-laugh, half-sob.

“I took his life… And I’m proud of it. I’m enjoying his death… How fucked up is that?” She shook her head, hands clenching into fists. “How fucked up is that?” Quieter, but still a valid question.

“Valkyrie… You did what you had to do. He was a danger to everyone in the known and unknown realms. He was a horrible person and so full of corruption… Valkyrie, he had to be stopped.” Flora tried to remind her, extending her hands to reach for her loved one.

Hesitant, trembling hands took hers, squeezing hard and holding tight. A decent sign. “We’ve had a traumatic year, Valkyrie… You more than most of us. We’re all dealing with it in our own way, and if your way is being thrilled that he’s dead? Well so be it.”

“Flora-”

“You’re not the only one who’s glad he’s dead, you know?” She continued. “Bloom is beyond ecstatic that her parents’ would-be murderer is dead. And Layla and Stella have been partying hard since their planets have been released from his hold.”

“Tecna almost died because of him, she still has nightmares about Omega!” Flora needed Valkyrie to see that what she did was a good thing. That she wasn’t a monster just because she… Enjoyed… Taking the life of such a deplorable man.

“I… I’m glad he’s dead too, Valkyrie. I’m glad he’s gone because now he can’t hurt the people I love, he can’t hurt you anymore.” She moved herself closer, removing one of her hands from Valkyrie’s to place on the witch’s cheek.

“Hell, I could have killed him myself when he took you with the Water Stars… I was so tempted to poison him and be done with it all, right then and there. The only reason I didn’t was because I had something a bit more important to focus on: getting you home in one piece.” She placed a kiss on Valkyrie’s damp cheek, hoping the witch understood what was being said.

“Flora… I…” She pulled herself to the fairy, holding tight. She couldn’t finish her thought, instead just holding herself in place. Anchoring.

Flora didn’t mind, a part of her thrilled the witch trusted her enough with this vulnerability. She wrapped her arms around Valkyrie, whispering soothing words into her purple locks, never wanting to let go.

And if the witch would let her, she’d show Valkyrie how she saw her. The warrior who was so devoted to her friends and family, a witch powerful enough to disrupt the plans of an ancient coven. _The witch that she found herself so in love with._


	4. Better Together

**Better Together**

“So you’re folks are really okay with the three of us being here alone?” Lucy asked, lounging carefully on the couch in Crystal’s living room.

“They’re fine with it so long as we don’t do anything to warrant cops.” Crystal gave a grin. “And we won’t, because we’re going to be on our _best behavior_. Right?” She shot the other witches a look. “Right?”

“Yes, Dear.”

“Of course.”

“Good.” Crystal smirked, plopping down on an arm chair. “So here’s the thing… I was thinking we keep it simple tonight. Movies and pizza. The works.” She looked to Valkyrie. “And of course _talking_ and _keeping each other looped in_.”\

The purple haired witch gave a sheepish smile. After her meltdown at the Interdimensional Fair a few weeks ago, she’d had quite the explaining to do… And now her coven had mandated ‘hanging out’ nights to keep each other close.

“Don’t we always?” She grinned, nudging her friend teasingly as she sat in her lap. Crystal snorted.

“If we did, you wouldn’t get yourself into so much trouble.” The brunette reminded her, sliding her out into the floor with a thud.

“Hey!”

Lucy giggled. “Seems you got dumped.”

“Fuck you.” Valkyrie tried her best to sound threatening, her laughter bubbling up. (Okay, so maybe she did need this… and maybe her friends really were key in keeping the Ancestral Witches at bay…)

“I’d rather not. We both have girlfriends who’d be pretty pissed if we did.” Lucy teased, looking to Crystal. “And she’s got a fairly jealous boytoy.”

“Kota’s not a _boytoy_ , he is a _boyfriend_. Major difference.” Crystal insisted, sticking her tongue out. “Now… I say we order the pizza and start picking out movies. I’m not wasting this opportunity of having the house to ourselves.”

Lucy hummed. “Where did your parents go anyway? And your brothers?”

“The Paladin Games on Eraklyon. I thought about going, but then I thought better of it… Eraklyon’s not exactly my scene.” Crystal admitted.

“Translation: you’re still pissed at Prince Sky?” Valkyrie smirked, laying down on the living room floor.

“I’m not _pissed_ at anyone. I’m just… Biding my time.” Crystal winked, getting to her feet. “What kinds of pizza are we ordering and what movies are we watching?”

Lucy and Valkyrie started naming off titles and toppings, normalcy starting to flow into their veins.

Normal teenagers. That’s what they were in this moment. Normal teenagers.

Perfect.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Valkyrie peeked out from under the blankets and around Lucy’s shoulder. She hated feeling like this, a scared little kid. But they wanted to watch _this_ fucking movie and she was outvoted two to one…

‘It’s a classic,” they’d said. ‘It’s not even that scary,’ they said. Well Lucy and Crystal were fucking liars and she was trying her best to keep her flames from lashing out.

The other two witches jumped into debate after the credits rolled, soon turning to face the smaller witch in their trio. “How is it a horror movie scares the hell out of you, but you absolutely love those serial killer things?” Lucy taunted, crossing her arms.

Valkyrie flipped her off, coming out of her blanket fort. “Because, _Lucille_ , to deal with horror movie creatures, one typically has to have a specific skill set. Dealing with serial killers is far easier and has more positive outcomes.”

Crystal shook her head, going to take out the movie. _Nightmares of the Inner Swamp_. “Val, you have the Dragon Fire. I don’t get how _anything_ short of Bloom’s temper, the Ancestral Witches, and the Water Stars scare you.”

The purple haired witch frowned. “Fear doesn’t have to be rational. You’ve heard Professor Pandora’s lectures.”

“Yeah, but we’re supposed to inflict fear not indulge in it.” Lucy reminded, leaning back in her seat. “But hey, at least we’ve got your back.”

“Sure you do you. After you’ve made fun of me first.” She snorted, standing up and stretching her arms. “Is there anymore pizza left?”

“I think there’s still a slice or two of the cheese and a slice of the Rancorian Supreme.” Crystal hummed, looking to Lucy. “You still hungry too?”

“Always.” Lucy grinned, getting to her feet. “Maybe we should throw in some ice cream too? And watch one of those lame rom coms you keep hidden?”

Crystal flushed, her features going into a frown. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“We know about the rom com stash, Crys. Your boyfriend outed you last week, remember?” Valkyrie teased.

The gem witch gave a long suffering sigh. “Fine. I guess if we get to make fun of Val’s unnecessary fears, we can make fun of my belief in love.”

“And then we’ll target Lucy’s love of sci-fi.” Valkyrie snickered. “Right, Captain Nerd?” Lucy grabbed the smaller witch, lifting her up.

They cackled as Lucy spun her, Valkyrie trying to force herself back to the floor. “I’ll show you, Captain Nerd style.” The green haired witch taunted before setting the smaller witch down.

Valkyrie groaned, shaking her head. “Okay… I might be dizzy now.”

“Spinning like that can’t be good for you. Especially not with Callistian Rum in your system.” Crystal hummed, looking her over. “But I’m sure you’re going to be fine.”

Lucy ruffled Valkyrie’s hair. “Yeah, you’re okay.” She turned to Crystal. “Right we’ve still got rum left over. Maybe we could make an ice cream float with it?”

“Ooh… That sounds incredible. Yes please.” Crystal started toward the kitchen, the other two falling in behind her…

\-----------------------------------------------------------

“Why? Why the hell did he have to come into her life right after she’s made it clear she’s moved on?” Lucy frowned, taking another spoonful of ice cream. “It makes no sense.”

Crystal sighed. “It’s love, Lucy. It doesn’t have to make sense.”

“Still. He should understand the words ‘I’m over it’. Right?” Valkyrie asked. “She’s done with him.”

“No. She’s not. She still loves him, she just _can’t_ be with him.” Crystal explained.

“So she’s lying to him? That makes it soooo much better.” Valkyrie shook her head, leaning back in her seat.

Lucy hummed, setting her empty bowl down. “This is a doomed relationship.” Crystal groaned, shaking her head before downing her drink.

“It’s supposed to be complicated. Their love is meant to overcome all obstacles… But only after the angst eats them alive.” Crystal sighed. “I need more romantically inclined friends.”

“More like you need more straight friends.” Valkyrie teased.

The gem witch frowned. “Hey! Non-straight relationships aren’t perfect, Val. I’ve seen plenty fall apart. You and Anya. That brief moment Lucy dated Camille. And don’t get me started on the drama that is Lilith and Hecate.”

Lucy and Valkyrie shared a look. “Fine.”

“Point taken.”

Crystal smirked. “Good.” She watched as the final scene unfolded. “Maybe we should try makeovers next? I’ve got a few glamour spells I’ve been dying to try.”

Lucy shrugged. “I’m game.”

Valkyrie groaned. “Why do I get the feeling this is going to end horribly…?”

Crystal grinned, wrapping her arms around Lucy and Valkyrie. “Because you know how seriously I take beauty treatments. And you absolutely hate having to sit still for it.”

Lucy smirked. “I bet I could think of _one way_ to make Val sit still… Though it’d be a bit awkward.”

Valkyrie shot her friend a glare, though there was no heat in it. “I hate you.”

“Love you too.” Lucy winked and blew her a kiss.


	5. Two Halves

**Two Halves**

Valkyrie took a deep breath, walking up to the Peters’s house at Gardenia, on Earth. Three knocks and the door opened, Vanessa (Bloom’s adoptive mother) answering. “Valkyrie, it’s good to see you. Let me guess, you’re here for Bloom?”

The witch gave a smile and nod. “Yes ma’am. Is she in?” She was going to help Bloom connect more to her dragon, and in turn, connect more to Domino. Connections were important, especially if they were going to try and restore the realm to it’s former glory.

Vanessa moved out of the doorway, letting the witch inside. “She’s in her room. Upstairs, first room on the left.”

Valkyrie gave a nod. “Thank you, Mrs. Peters.” She started up the stairs, being careful to avoid stepping on Kiko.

The little blue bunny was hopping around her legs, ears waggling and tail bobbing. She gave a laugh, finally stopping to pick him up. “Guess you’re in need of some attention, huh Kiko?” She teased, heading toward Bloom’s room.

The door gave her pause, a bit of a teasing smile on her lips. It was decorated with different pieces of artwork, the centerpiece being the Alfea girls’ logo “WINX”. She knocked, holding Kiko close. “Bloom. Bloom. You up, Red?”

A crash could be heard and frantic moving around. “I’m up! I’m up! Just give me like, five minutes.”

“Maybe ten.” A sleep-laden voice spoke. Lockette. Had to be with how soft the voice was.

Valkyrie laughed, leaning against the wall. “Take your time, Red. We’ve got all day.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You’re sure about this, right?” Bloom asked, giving Valkyrie a look. They were in Gloomy Wood Forest in Magix, ready to start the ritual.

The witch shrugged, finishing up the salt circle. “It should work, but nothing is guaranteed.” Valkyrie admitted, setting out the candles. “You may wanna summon your wings for this. It’ll help channel your magic.”

Bloom gave a nod and stepped back, bright light swirling around her until she was in her Enchantix form. “Okay so what now?”

“Light those candles with your flames and I’ll light these with mine. We’ll sit in the circle and try to channel our dragons.” Valkyrie moved to show Bloom what she meant, raising her hand a bit. A small black flame swirled around three of the candles, lighting them up.

Valkyrie took her seat beside them, watching as Bloom did the same. “Now close your eyes and focus. You’re a reservoir o f light magic, Bloom, draw it out. Think of Domino, your parents. What do you want to find out?”

Bloom hummed, following the witch’s orders. “I want to find my parents. I want to find Marion and Oritel.” She murmured, voice slow and melodic.

Valkyrie nodded, closing her eyes and feeling for her inner flame. For her dragon. ‘ _Oritel and Marion… Are they dead? Did we kill them? Is there hope?’_ Valkyrie whispered inside of herself, reaching for her dragon.

She could feel something happening, a strange warmth flowing over her and into her veins. Going by Bloom’s groan, the same thing was happening to her. But she didn’t open her eyes, she did not let her focus falter.

Domino. Oritel. Marion. What happened to them?

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_They were side by side in the void, darkness as far as their eyes could see. The only light came from their flames, a little path winding toward two thrones. “Why does this look familiar?” Valkyrie asked, shaking her head._

_Bloom gave a slight smile, blue eyes shining. “Come on, Val… This is a good sign. Right? I mean, this is how we connected to them last time.”_

“ _I don’t know… But it’s a start...” Valkyrie admitted, starting toward the path. “Let’s see what they’ve got for us this time...”_

_It didn’t take long for them to make it to the thrones, the dragons coming to life once again and stepping before them. “What is it you wish to learn this time, Princess Bloom?” Her dragon hummed, massive head tilting._

“ _Or is this your quest, Heir to Obsidian?” Valkyrie’s dragon leaned close, red eyes boring into her blue ones._

_Bloom stepped forward, hands behind her back, wings spread. “We came to the two of you to find out what happened to… My birth parents. I know Valtor claimed to have killed them, but I’m not so sure that’s true.”_

_Valkyrie’s dragon growled at the mention of her father, smoke coming from his mouth. “We don’t speak of_ that _traitor.”_

“ _And she’s not. She’s only looking for answers.” Valkyrie reminded him. “She just wants to know if her parents are out there somewhere.”_

_Both dragons shared a look and a nod. “My former keeper and her husband do live. But they were hidden away, locked together by a spell.” The red dragon answered, her voice soft and cracked. “It was a last minute spell that the Ancestral Witches cast, a… Last ditch effort if you will.”_

“ _The smoke from the teleportation and the explosion caused_ my _former keeper to assume he killed them. He honestly believed he did. But he did not.”_

_Bloom gave a smile, relief flooding through her body. Valkyrie nudged Bloom’s shoulder with hers, thrilled to see her… her friend getting the answers she wanted._

“ _That’s great. I mean, it’s not great that they were put under a spell, but it’s great that they’re alive.” Bloom’s wings began to flutter in excitement. “Where… Where are they trapped at? What spell was used?”_

_Silence._

‘Here we go _.’ Valkyrie thought._

“ _We don’t know. The spell severed our bonds to each other. It’s as if they’re on another plane of existence.” The Light Dragon admitted._

“ _But we do know that if anyone is going to be able to find them, it will be you, young Princess.” The Dark Dragon praised. “Or at least, I hope you do. For the sake of the balance.”_

_Bloom gave a nod, turning to Valkyrie. “At least we have a start…?”_

“ _We’re not giving up, Red. This is just a setback.” Valkyrie grinned, turning to the dragons and giving a bow. “Thank you, for allowing us to connect.”_

_The dragons gave a nod and waved their claws, smoke surrounding the fairy and witch. They were lifted away, the void rapidly disappearing into light…_

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The candles were blown out, the circle undone, and Valkyrie and Bloom were waking up. “That was intense...”

“Yeah… Let’s… Not do that again for a while...” Valkyrie groaned, raising up. “At least we know your hunch was right. Marion and Oritel are out there.”

“It’s just a matter of finding out where.”

“Which we’ll do. With help from the others.” Valkyrie shot a smile. “Or at least, I’d hope we’re getting their help.”

“Definitely. There’s no way just the two of us could do this.” Bloom chuckled, getting to her feet and dusting herself off. (The wings were gone, she was back in her t-shirt and a pair of jeans.)


	6. Revamping ShadowHaunt

**Revamping ShadowHaunt**

The witch smiled as the group filtered into Gloomy Wood. Lucy and Crystal, followed by Tecna, Stella, and Layla. Mirta and Flora. Bloom and Sky. Musa with Riven. Helia with Morgan. Brandon and Timmy. Nabu. Kota.

And of course the pixies filtered in with the fairies, sticking close. “So what’s this about?” Riven asked, stretching. “Not that I’m complaining, but we usually don’t get summoned without the realms being in danger.”

Valkyrie rolled her eyes. “This has nothing to do with saving the realms. They’re fine right now.” She took a breath. “But I would like to ask for your help in restoring ShadowHaunt. Don’t get me wrong, releasing it from Darkar did wonders, and Morgan and Flora have done wonders for the gardens… But it’s still not back to how it should be.”

“And maybe I should have worked on this last summer, but with everything that was going on… The time seemed to runaway with me.”

Stella grinned. “I do _love_ interior design. What are we going for? Modern chic? Or perhaps we could update the ruin look?”

“Nabu and I can fix the water systems. Make sure everything is running smoothly.” Layla smiled.

“And I’m sure Tecna and I could set up an electrical network...” Timmy hummed. “Though it may be tricky working with such ancient architecture...”

Lucy shrugged. “Could be fun to renovate ShadowHaunt. It’d make for an interesting statement on our resumes.”

“And it’ll be fun to check what artifacts Darkar may have had hidden there.” Crystal smirked. Valkyrie shook her head.

“Any artifacts found will be turned over to Magix. Sorry guys.” She told them. Brandon gave a nod.

“Probably for the best. No need for bad karma.”

“This group seems to have plenty of ‘bad’ karma to last a lifetime.” Jolly snickered, fluttering close to Morgan.

Musa whistled, turning the group’s attention to her. “Guys, if we’re going to do this, we better get started. Summer’s almost over and I do _not_ wanna be doing this during the school year.”

“Don’t worry, this shouldn’t take too long.” Valkyrie tried to assure the music fairy. “A week or two at most… Probably.”

Bloom grinned. “Then let’s get started! Open the portal.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flora giggled as she and Valkyrie worked on what they had decided would be ‘their’ room. “I think these Shadow Lilies work well here… They can act as a canopy.”

Valkyrie smiled, watching as the flowered vines draped around the bed. “Beautiful.” She turned, waving her hand to get Flora’s attention. “And I have a desk set up. Multi-functional for our studying needs.”

Chatta could be heard laughing on the bed, the pixie jumping up and down. “And this bed rocks! I’m glad we fixed it up.” Valkyrie chuckled.

“I’m just glad we could find one to fit. I don’t think Darkar was a fan of rest.” She leaned against Flora, kissing the fairy’s cheek. “I’m going to head down to the library, make sure nothing in there attacked the others.”

“Good plan. We have no idea what all Darkar kept here.”

“And I’d rather we not find out.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tecna and Timmy had set up shop in the library, Digit flying over and helping as she could. “Oh good, Valkyrie, you’re here.” Tecna rose up from her seat, PDA in hand.

“So we’ve digitized most of the library and sourced the books and scrolls to see if any were stolen during the War.”

“And?” Valkyrie asked. “How many have to go back?”

“That’s the thing...” Timmy stuttered a bit. “None of them have to leave because they’re all from… From Obsidian, Rot, Fallat, and Orez.”

“Dead realms.” Valkyrie swore, the realization setting in. “Great. And any artifacts we need to send to Magix?”

“So far, nothing seems out of the ordinary, but we are working on it.” Digit spoke, flying in close. “By the way, Valkyrie, how would you feel about an updated light system for the library?”

“Anything to downplay the creep factor… At least a little bit.” Valkyrie nodded. “Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a creepy old castle in ruins as much as the next witch… But this… Is different.”

“Completely understandable. This was once refuge for the Ancestral Witches.” Tecna hummed. “In fact, it seems after their banishment from Obsidian, they hid out here for a bit… After securing allegiance from Argulus.”

Valkyrie shook her head. “Like I said, this place doesn’t need help in the creep factor.” She paused, turning to face Tecna and Timmy. “Have either of you claimed a room yet? I’ve told the others they could if they wanted...”

Timmy grinned, pulling up schematics on his specialist node. “We’ve picked this one at the corner here.” He gestured to one of the rooms. “That okay?”

“Perfectly fine. Feel free to design it as you see fit.” Valkyrie waved to them, making her way to the door. “I’m going to go check on the others...”

“If Stella’s anywhere near the kitchen, duck and cover!” Tecna warned, making the witch laugh.

“Will do!”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stella, Bloom, Sky, and Brandon were taking care of what to have been the kitchen and dining area.

Old iron pots and pans were everywhere, Stella and Bloom were covered in what appeared to be paint, and the boys seemed to be having issues installing something around the stove top. “Do I want to know?”

“Just some minor inconvenience… Nothing to fret over.” Brandon laughed nervously, looking to the others.

“Right...” Valkyrie crossed her arms. “Need a hand?”

“No way! We’ve got this.” Stella laughed. “Just for argument’s sake though… What do you think of an ombre color for this portion of the room?”

“Stella, we need to try and keep close to what ShadowHaunt _originally_ was.” Bloom argued.

“Hey, it’s just a question about color.” Valkyrie shook her head.

“Maybe try something in brick? Just in case of accidents…? I feel like this will be potion’s lab half of the time.” Valkyrie looked around the ceiling of ShadowHaunt. “Though if you want to try something new, Stella, you add in some skylights.”

The blonde grinned. “That sounds like fun.”

“That sounds like we’re going to be in danger...” Sky muttered, shaking his head.

“Oh come on, Sky. We’ll be fine.” Bloom chuckled, moving to wrap around him, laughing as he moved away to keep paint from getting on him.

Valkyrie grinned, shaking her head. “Try not to blow things up...”

“No explosions here. Cross my heart.” Stella winked, going back to work. Valkyrie turned to Brandon.

“Keep an eye on her.”

“Always.” Brandon winked, turning to Stella. “Wait up babe!”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Layla, Nabu, Helia, and Morgan were working outside of the castle grounds, cleaning up the gardens and the waterfall. Piff, Jolly, and Lockette were close, playing with the shadow creatures and gator hounds.

“Seems like you guys are having a good time.” Valkyrie watched as Layla set up a rope swing. “Is that sturdy?”

“Sturdy enough.” Layla laughed, jumping from the rope to the ground with a grunt. “How’s the inside going?”

“Decently… If Stella doesn’t blow us all to kingdom come.” Valkyrie teased.

Nabu laughed. “I heard she has a penchant for explosions...”

“You have no idea. Girl got expelled from Alfea once because she blew up our potion’s lab. My papa was so pissed. I’ve never seen him so angry before.” Morgan shook her head. “But that was then...”

Helia hummed. “I’m sure she’ll be fine with Bloom and Brandon watching over her.” He looked Valkyrie over, a hint of a smirk on his lips. “Where’s Flora? Decorating your room?”

She snorted, feeling a flush on her face. “Maybe.”

“Awe. Ohh!” Layla grabbed Nabu’s hands. “That reminds me, we should probably go pick our room. The one that’s closest to the waterfall. Think of how awesome it’d be to wake up and see the falls?”

Nabu grinned, moving a hand to cup her face. “Anything you want, Layla.”

Morgan rolled her eyes. “You’re so whipped, Nabu.”

“And? I’m happy being whipped.” Nabu chuckled. Valkyrie shook her head, snickering as the implication seemed to go over the prince’s head.

“I bet you are, Nabu...” Helia teased. “So where’s everyone else at? Setting up wherever?” Valkyrie shrugged.

“Something like that. The only group I’m worried about aside from Stella and Bloom’s is Mirta and Lucy’s… They found this hidden room that was apparently used for rituals and are turning it into a herbology lab.”

Morgan squealed. “Helia...”

“We’ll head there as soon we’re done here, Morgan.” Helia assured the half-elf.

Nabu smirked. “Now who’s whipped?” Helia rolled his eyes and huffed playfully, Morgan snickered at his side. Layla shook her head, chuckling.

“Boys.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took about three weeks, but ShadowHaunt had been restored and renovated to keep up with the times.

The garden let toward the waterfall (and the river it fell into). The river had a rope swing and a few choice places to jump from. An area set up nearby for campfires and picnics. A little getaway.

The fortress of ShadowHaunt had been transformed into basically a mini manor. (Stella had been so excited about the project, and maybe went just a tad overboard.)

There was what used to be a ballroom, transformed back into what Musa, Layla, and Stella dubbed the ‘Party Pad’. Tables and chairs were set to one side, a stereo system to the other, places to dance, and a little set aside area to just sit and relax.

Bedrooms had been claimed and decorated; Helia and Bloom had so much fun designing little signs for each room to designate who had it. (That project quickly spiraled and now there were signs designating each new room/cavern.)

The library was dusted and reorganized, parts of it turned into a study. The emptier rooms were turned into sections of ‘studios’. Dance, music, a place to design (Crystal and Stella claimed that room faster than it took for them to turn the studio into even more separate sections), painting, and a place to test out the various weapons or spells they may come into contact with.

A herbology lab and potion’s lab was set up, much to the delight of Lucy, Mirta, Flora, and Morgan.

Crystal and Jolly transformed what was most likely a torture chamber into a divination room, complete with their different tarot card decks and crystals. Circle and runes decorated the halls.

All in all, it wasn’t half bad. The group had really come together and now ShadowHaunt had a new identity. (A better identity.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took them a few weeks to do. I just sort of time-skipped around...


	7. Back To School Bash- Tides Style

“I still can’t believe your parents, the epitome of overprotective-ness, is letting you host a beach party.” Valkyrie teased, nudging Nabu’s shoulder. The wizard chuckled, watching as the rest of the group was setting up.

Lucy, Mirta, Bloom, Morgan, and Flora had brought various snacks and drinks. Musa and Layla were setting up a makeshift DJ booth. Timmy and Tecna were laying out the protective sun gear. And the others were already either in the ocean waves or laying on the sand nearby.

“Yeah, I was amazed too. But I guess after my escapism stunts and my approval to transfer into Red Fountain… I managed to convince them I was ready to grow up some. Have a little independence.” Nabu laughed.

“Right, and that’s why there’s guards patrolling the area?” Riven asked, coming up from the sand dunes he’d been investigating. (Valkyrie smirked when she noticed sea shells in a bag, large and intricate ones that could appear to be music notes.)

Nabu flushed. “I had to concede a little… You know?”

“Ease up, Riven. It’s not easy growing up with parents who smother you.” Layla walked over, wrapping her arms around Nabu. “So did you tell them we’re going to get to meet your older sister and her fiancé?”

“Getting to that, dear.” Nabu kissed the top of her head, looking to Riven and Valkyrie.

“So you’re sister is coming?” Riven teased.

“Yeah. Crown Princess Talia and her lady love. They just want to meet everyone and… I guess escape palace life for a moment.” Nabu sighed. “Which, I can’t blame them there. My parents have been going overboard for their wedding.”

“Makes you wonder how they’ll do for yours and Layla’s?” Valkyrie teased. Layla groaned.

“Oh yeah… Especially if my parents try to get involved.” The princess of Andros shook her head. “But what can we do?”

“You could always elope. Or secretly hijack your own wedding.” Riven shrugged. “It’s what they always do in those lame rom-coms Musa likes.”

Valkyrie snickered. “From what I’ve heard Riven, you like them too.” The witch teased. Riven glared.

“Like hell I do. I just watch them because Musa does.” He argued, face flushing. Valkyrie chuckled.

“Whatever you say, Riven, whatever you say.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Valkyrie laid back on the beach towel, closing her eyes. She needed a break away from the others, just a short one.

Oh, she’d been having a blast. Teaming up with Crystal to tease Stella and Brandon, watching Lucy and Mirta argue about some band they both were into. Dancing with Flora, trying not to drown while paddle-boarding with Layla, Riven, and Morgan.

Creating a bonfire with Bloom to roast marshmallows. (Something about a s’mores from Earth?)

Listening to Musa’s newest songs. Meeting Talia and Anne (who happened to be a childhood friend of Layla’s that moved away.)

Now that had been exciting; Talia was very much Nabu’s older sister. Tall, tanned-skin, tattoos on her arms (similar to Nabu’s, except instead of purple ink they were done in green). Her eyes were brown instead of blue, and her hair black instead of brown. Long black hair pulled into a tight braid.

She’d been funny, sweet, oh-so polite. It was easy to see she’d make a great queen for Tides. And her fiancé was graceful and eager to catch up with Layla.

White, with freckles and orange hair done neatly in a bun (quick to put Bloom’s own red locks to shame). Bright eyes and a dancer’s figure. Layla had been so quick to introduce her to everyone and then the two had started a dance off.

(Hard to say who won, but Talia and Nabu both held their girls like they were champions.)

But that had been earlier, and the witch had had to back away from the party. It was still to much sometimes, being in the mixed of them all.

Valkyrie sighed, rolling over a bit to keep the sun out of her eyes. “Needed to take a break?” A familiar voice asked, the smell of lilies teasing blue eyes open.

The witch rose up, giving a bit of a smile. “Just a bit of one...” She paused, looking to where the others had started to dance around the royal water pairs. “You didn’t have to come looking for me, you could have stayed with the others.”

“I know. But I wanted to be close to my favorite witch. Wouldn’t do to have you neglected, now would it?” Flora teased, pulling Valkyrie toward her.

“I was feeling a little neglected.” Valkyrie gave a sly smile, bringing the fairy in for a kiss. “You could always change that though...” A question. “Maybe not now but...”

“One more hour with the others, and I may just take you up on that.” Flora winked and took her hand, leading her back into the group…

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flora hummed, pulling Valkyrie and the covers closer. “Comfy?” She asked in that teasing tone. Valkyrie nuzzled closer, not even caring about the tone anymore.

“Perfectly.” She laid her head on Flora’s chest, smiling as she listened to the fairy’s heartbeat. “You know we’re going to get flak from the other’s right…? About sneaking off from a party?”

“They’ll get over it.” Flora ran her hands through purple strands, and it took all of Valkyrie’s willpower not to whine. (Again.) “Besides, I highly doubt we’re the only ones who had this in mind… Pretty sure I saw Stella leading Brandon off and I know Riven was flustering Musa.”

Valkyrie chuckled. “Let’s not forget our dear witches. Mirta and Kota were definitely showing out tonight.”

“I wonder why.” Flora chuckled. “Full moons do things to people.” Valkyrie frowned a bit.

“If I weren’t so comfortable or tired, I’d go into a huge spiel about the _actual_ ways the full moon effects people and that it’s not just in the crazy or romantic way… But… Then I think I’d really be my mother and I’m not looking to channel _that_ right now.”

Flora laughed, her head shaking and brunette strands teasing around Valkyrie’s face and the pillows. “I think a part of you just did.”

Valkyrie groaned, moving to roll over dramatically, back to Flora. “If you’re going to be _that_ way.”

“Oh come on, Honey… no need for the dramatics tonight.” Flora hummed, the fairy’s body pressing into Valkyrie’s back, an arm snaking around her bare waist to pull her close. “You can’t stay pouty with me.”

Little kisses to her neck and shoulder had the witch sighing, and the hand on her waist inching lower and lower had her breath hitching. “Still pouty?” Flora teased, those delicate fingers just _so close_. Valkyrie groaned, willing to admit defeat as she turned on her back.

“That depends… We going another round?” She tried to go for sass, she did, but she was already halfway out of breath and she could feel the flush on her face. Flora moved to straddle her, giving her answer in the way of a kiss, full of promise and assurances...


End file.
